RealNetworks Slashes Song Prices

[inkswamp]

Apple is abusing it's market position and the blind support of many Apple followers is just shameful.

Hold on a second. Apple isn't abusing anything. They went forward into a market that just about everyone on the planet, including a lot of people posting here, said was foolish. They did so at great expense and at great potential embarrassment to themselves should it have failed. They developed the iTunes, the store, the iPod; they negotiated probably pricey agreements with music labels; they sell songs, paying for the massive bandwidth, and just about break-even. They dumped cash into the R&D for this and they did it right and made a massive success out of something that everyone else had written off largely because nobody thought the P2P networks could be beaten.

And now, because Apple doesn't want to let lazy competitors in on that for almost nothing, you think that "abusing its market position?" Get off your high horse. If Apple had appropriated all these great ideas from a little company and used its influence and power to take over things and lock everyone into their standards, then you would have a legitimate gripe, but where are you coming from with this? Apple did ALL OF THIS on their own. It's their pie. And it's wrong because they won't let Real have a free slice of it? What did Real do to earn a seat at the table? Nothing.

The only reason Apple is still alive is because of open standards. If IBM (stop producing PowerPC as a concurrent) and M$ (MSOffice) will (or would have) tread Apple in the same way as Apple treads Real, Apple will soon be history.

That's terribly over-simplified and it implies that the iPod/iTunes combo is a closed system. It's not. Until the day comes that I can't play mp3s or import CDs into it, then your complaint is meaningless. Look at Sony's music player that ONLY plays ATRAC and then tell me the iPod/iTunes system is a closed one. Please!

Until recently I was somewhat proud to be a member of the Mac community, I did think that we had higher standards than the 'dark' side. I am painfully mistaken. Moderator: Please remove my account and all my posts from this board.

Good riddance! You take things a too seriously as it is. It sounds like you need to spend less time in front of a computer and maybe a little more time outdoors anyway.

 

[Porchland]

Moderator: Please remove my account and all my posts from this board.

Drama queen.

 

[jmonteiro]

Petition to Real

If you do not like the fact that Real removed the signatures / comments from their petition, then sign this one:

Petition to Real

It already has almost as many signatures as Real's petition...

 

[liketom]

has any news websites picked up on the "Don't break my Petition, iTMS Users!" cos i can't wait to read what they have to say lol "Mac user's unite, to flush real out of existence" hehe

 

[GFLPraxis]

i've never met a windows zealot.

http://groups.msn.com/billgatesfanclub

There you go. One of them called Bill Gates god...

 

[stoid]

http://groups.msn.com/billgatesfanclub

There you go. One of them called Bill Gates god...

He is the god of unethical business practices and corporate warfare.

 

[destroyboredom]

Everyone should e-mail this assclown

Tell 'em what you really think.

admin@freedomofmusicchoice.org

 

[shamino]

There are millions of people out there campaigning for Apple to be squashed.

And for some reason, they all seem to hang out on comp.sys.mac.advocacy

 

[corywoolf]

CALLING ALL TRUE APPLE FANS!!!!!

You can still put an email and name down, so give an email address like dierealnetworks@realsux.com, then as a name put down REALREALLYSUX

Although it is highly immature, it will still piss off real networks. On second thought, if they used this in a courtroom they wouldn't have time to go over all the names & emails, so hmmmmmm, it was a funny thought though?!


________________________________________________________________
2* 12" pb's, imac old school dv, first superdrive imac, 40 gb ipod 3rd gen, nikon coolpix, and much more periphrials, if i could spell .

311, Pink Floyd, and the dead rule, pink floyd is the best band ever though.

 

[nagromme]

What you give up with Real

Are you an iPod user tempted by this? I haven't seen many of those posting

Real cracked the iPod but as near as I can tell they have not cracked the iTunes jukebox. So if you buy Real songs, you can't use iTunes. Not just the Store--you can't use Real-format music in iTunes at all. So say goodbye to iPod features like Smart Playlists, eatings management from your PC screen, editing and saving On-the-Go playlists, two-way play stats tracking/synching, per-song equalizer presets, etc.

Losing those features is not worth saving a few bucks during a short-term sale.

Now, you can still connect your iPod to iTunes... but then you'll get your iTunes music and NOT the Real music you bought. It's either-or. So much for having one library of all your music!

Worst of all, with Real, you lose your ability to use your existing music in any of the following formats:

* iTunes downloads (the vast majority of legal downloads)
* Audiobooks (Audible)
* Apple Lossless
* And what about CDs ripped to AAC from iTunes? Will Real's jukebox play those? (I know their AAC rips aren't standard like the files iTunes makes--they are wrapped in their own Real format.)

iPod owners will NOT go for this.

Meanwhile Apple will enjoy the free iPod publicity

 

[AliensAreFuzzy]

I was looking around Real's site and found something interesting. Not only did Real steal Apple's DRM but they also stole part of the iTunes logo. I know some of you will say "Well it's just a musical note". Well, while that's true, I find it odd that they would choose just that style and the effects applied to it.

 

[GFLPraxis]

I was looking around Real's site and found something interesting. Not only did Real steal Apple's DRM but they also stole part of the iTunes logo. I know some of you will say "Well it's just a musical note". Well, while that's true, I find it odd that they would choose just that style and the effects applied to it.

Wow. Very ironic. Email that to Apple, immediately- they can add it as one more list of infringements in the court Maybe they'll even give you a reward

 

[AliensAreFuzzy]

Wow. Very ironic. Email that to Apple, immediately- they can add it as one more list of infringements in the court Maybe they'll even give you a reward

Yeah, one of those G5 Powerbooks when they come out

 

[GFLPraxis]

Yeah, one of those G5 Powerbooks when they come out

...next tuesday!






what, someone had to say it...

 

[jwhitnah]

Actually I think the petition shows how pathetic Apple zealots can be.

If this were Apple doing the very same thing to another competitor who had a lock on the market you would all be behind Apple cheering. Another win for the "little guy" as everyone says. It really stings when it's turned around on Apple.

I've used, administered, developed on OSX, BSD, Linux, Solaris, and Windows and have had experience will the zealots of each platform. It's amazing how all of the Apple zealots sound just like the Windows ones you trash all of the time. In the end you are all alike, just behind what each considers a winning solution.

It's a team sport.

 

[AliensAreFuzzy]

...next tuesday!






what, someone had to say it...

Along with iTunes in Canada, Australia, and The Netherlands.

 

[GFLPraxis]

And you forgot eMac G5's

 

[Yvan256]

Along with iTunes in Canada, Australia, and The Netherlands.

Woo-hoo! At last, iTMS Canada eh?

Oh, you were joking? :-(

Back to flamming Real on their petition, I guess.

P.S.: if you think only Apple users hate Real, you're wrong. *Everybody* hates them (I can't count the number of Windows systems I've re-installed because of their damn crappy software)

 

[AliensAreFuzzy]

Woo-hoo! At last, iTMS Canada eh?

Oh, you were joking? :-(

Back to flamming Real on their petition, I guess.

P.S.: if you think only Apple users hate Real, you're wrong. *Everybody* hates them (I can't count the number of Windows systems I've re-installed because of their damn crappy software)

Yes, unfortunately I was joking.
I hate them too. (7 systems) Real player is a virus.

 

[el-boliviano]

What to do?

I was going to wait until I felt I deserved one - but I feel obligated to go and do my part to support Apple - sign me up for a 40GB iPod and I'll buy as many iTunes as I can!! If we don't support the technology we enjoy, then we shouldn't expect it to always be there.

 

[GFLPraxis]

Woo-hoo! At last, iTMS Canada eh?

Oh, you were joking? :-(

Back to flamming Real on their petition, I guess.

P.S.: if you think only Apple users hate Real, you're wrong. *Everybody* hates them (I can't count the number of Windows systems I've re-installed because of their damn crappy software)

Check out Slashdot. Linux users hate them more than Mac users.
As one Slashdot user said, "Microsoft software and Real software both have one thing in common- they both require a re-format to get rid of them."

 

[Yvan256]

My crystal ball tells me how this will end:

1. Some hacker figures out how to use Harmony to break DRM.

2. The RIAA kills Harmony and Apple comes out squeaky clean

I see a more darker future, and it scares me.

1. Some hacker figures out how to use Harmony to break DRM.

2. The RIAA, seeing as DRM is too weak and "can't protect their artists", kills digital downloads and Apple has to close all four iTMS.

Granted we'd still have iTunes/iPod (which is the only thing I have now anyway being Canadian), but it'd be a step backward. And no way in hell would the RIAA ever agree to such a thing as "secure digital downloads" in the future.

 

[analogkid]

People seem to forget their agenda. I dunno...I am a music consumer. Therefore, my agenda is: I want to pay the least possible amount to get the most possible return. Therefore, anything that gets the price of music as close to free as possible is, to me, a good thing.

So steal all your music...

 

[andiwm2003]

Are you an iPod user tempted by this? I haven't seen many of those posting

Real cracked the iPod but as near as I can tell they have not cracked the iTunes jukebox. So if you buy Real songs, you can't use iTunes. Not just the Store--you can't use Real-format music in iTunes at all. So say goodbye to iPod features like Smart Playlists, eatings management from your PC screen, editing and saving On-the-Go playlists, two-way play stats tracking/synching, per-song equalizer presets, etc.

Losing those features is not worth saving a few bucks during a short-term sale.

Now, you can still connect your iPod to iTunes... but then you'll get your iTunes music and NOT the Real music you bought. It's either-or. So much for having one library of all your music!

Worst of all, with Real, you lose your ability to use your existing music in any of the following formats:

* iTunes downloads (the vast majority of legal downloads)
* Audiobooks (Audible)
* Apple Lossless
* And what about CDs ripped to AAC from iTunes? Will Real's jukebox play those? (I know their AAC rips aren't standard like the files iTunes makes--they are wrapped in their own Real format.)

iPod owners will NOT go for this.

Meanwhile Apple will enjoy the free iPod publicity

you are absolutely right. people buying stuff from apple are usually willing to shell out a few more bucks for convenience, design, stuff that works. saving 10 dollar won't cut it. but a little competition (or at least the threat of) will help apple to stay on top of things.

and with real failing miserably we will get real out of the way (who likes this dreadful realplayer that screws up your PC, reassigns file formats).

It also will deter others and show that you need good products to enter that market.

my 2 cents, andi

 

[Stewie]

I must be missing something. If I own the best digital audio player, the iPod, and then have the ability to buy music from more then 1 site how is this bad?

I really think that having multiple site to buy songs for the iPod is the only way that iPod will stay the #1 digital music player. Otherwise once MS and more WMA site go online, Apple will follow in its traditional role of an innovator and not the leader in a field.